Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury among football players in Bisha city, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: A total of 160 participants were included in this study. The football players were selected from the “Bisha Sport Club” team. Data were collected from the participants using a questionnaire, distributed by the researchers.
Results: Most of the participants were between 20 and 24 years (56.3%) and between 25 and 29 years (28.7%). The prevalence of knee ligament injury was 48.8%. The ACL was injured in 46.2% of participants and the posterior cruciate ligament in 17.9%. Around 20.5% had a partial tear while 30.8% had a complete tear. The diagnosis was established by clinical examination alone in 20.5%, 30.8% by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) alone, and 33.3% by both clinical examination and MRI. The most observed signs and symptoms were pop sound in 53.8%, sharp pain in 46.2%, and inability to move the leg in 38.5%.
Conclusion: The prevalence of ACL injury is common among football players in Saudi Arabia; therefore, there is a need to raise awareness among them about this type of injury to decrease its complications.

Key words: ACL injury, football players, prevalence, risk factors, Saudi Arabia.